Department of Recreation and Youth Services

Commissioner's Message

Welcome to the Department of Recreation and Youth Services (DRYS). DRYS is an integral part of the Mayor's vision to be the best mid-sized city. We offer a huge array of youth and family programs and services, all done with a focus on customer service excellence. Our primary goal is to enhance the City of Rochester with youth initiatives such as recreation, youth development, youth employment programs, and a premier park system.

Our R-Centers provide the best recreation and youth development program opportunities you will find anywhere. We promote asset development, safe havens (Safe Place and Safe Zone), and diversity. Our Bureau of Employment Skills Training and Youth Services is a leader in workforce development by providing education, employment training, job development and life skills training services for Rochester's youth and adults.

We also keep youth safe by providing outreach workers on the streets through our Pathways to Peace program. Pathways to Peace helps channel young city residents toward an array of community resources to prevent youth violence.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Department of Recreation Youth Services.

About the Department of Recreation and Youth Services

DRYS delivers a multitude of services such as providing youth with opportunities for employment, recreational educational activities, sports and athletics, environmental education, horticulture, and anti-gang intervention. In addition, we operate the historic Rochester Public Market, located in the heart of Rochester, that attracts tens of thousands of people each week to shop during summer, spring, fall, and winter. It was recently named "America’s Favorite Farmers Market" by the American Farmland Trust for capturing the first-place finish in the 2010 national America’s Favorite Farmers Contest.

You can use the following links to get to the main branches of the DRYS tree:

As the chief steward of Rochester's extensive 800 acre park system, DRYS oversees a phenomenal park network that includes several parks designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York's Central Park and other famous parks nationwide. Rochester's park system boasts numerous amenities including: